Athlone Town add Dundee Utd to mid-season friendly list

HAVING already secured an attractive mid-season friendly against English Premier League newcomers QPR on Tuesday, August 5, Athlone Town have now confirmed a friendly against Scottish Premiership outfit Dundee Utd, to be played in Lissywollen on Tuesday, July 8 (7.45pm).

Dundee Utd will also face Bohemians in Dalymount Park the following Saturday, as the Tangerines - managed by former Celtic stalwart Jackie McNamara - prepare for the start of their 2014/15 Scottish season. Two toher members of McNamara’s backroom staff, Simon Donnelly and Darren Jackson, also played with Celtic in the past.

Dundee Utd reached the Scottish Cup final last season (a competition they won in 2010) but lost to St Johnstone, and are a regular fixture in the top half of the Scottish table. Their side is captained by Dubliner Sean Dillon, who has played for Shelbourne and Longford Town in the past.

Dundee Utd has a very proud tradition in Scottish football and were a force to be reckoned with, both domestically and abroad, during the eighties. They won the Scottish title in 1983 and were European Cup semi-finalists the following season. They were also runners-up in the UEFA Cup (now the Europa League) in 1987, losing the final against Swedish side Gothenburg.

The current Dundee Utd squad also boasts some of the brightest young talents in Scottish football at present, including Stuart Armstrong, Ryan Gauld, Andrew Robertson and Gary Mackay-Steven. Three of that quartet (Armstrong, Robertson and Mackay-Steven) have featured in recent Scotland senior international squads and could play a part against Ireland in the upcoming European Championships qualifiers.

After their tour of Ireland, Dundee United will continue their pre-season build-up in the Netherlands, where they will play Utrecht and NAC Breda.